Trump’s former lawyer Cohen to publicly testify before Congress next month

He’ll appear before the House Oversight and Reform Committee

Cohen: Dirty deeds and prison time

January 10, 2019 at 2:26 PM CST - Updated January 11 at 8:18 AM

(Gray News) – Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, will give public testimony before Congress next month.

Cohen will appear before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Feb. 7.

In court cases that stemmed from the Russia investigation, Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion and campaign finance violations, as well as lying to Congress.

He has implicated the president in the campaign finance violation crimes. He has claimed he was directed by Trump to make hush money payments during the 2016 campaign to two women - adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal - who have said they were sexually involved with the president.

In a statement, Cohen said he was testifying at the invitation of Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-MD, the chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, “in furtherance of my commitment to cooperate and provide the American people with answers.”

“I look forward to having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired,” Cohen said.

Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s current lawyer, told Fox News that Cohen was a “discredited lawyer” and he couldn’t understand why anyone would want to hear from him.

Cohen was sentenced last month to three years in prison for his crimes.

“I take full responsibility for each act that I pled guilty to: The personal ones to me and those involving the President of the United States of America,” he said at his sentencing. “Time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds rather than to listen to my own inner voice and my moral compass.”

“Mr. Cohen has expressed an interest in telling his personal story in open session, and we welcome his testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Reform,” Schiff said. “It will be necessary, however, for Mr. Cohen to answer questions pertaining to the Russia investigation, and we hope to schedule a closed session before our committee in the near future.”